In his debut novel, Silent Sanction: A Novel (The Wade Hanna Series) (Volume 1) set in
New Orleans during the early 1960's, Joseph D'Antoni narrates a
poignant tale of a teenager, Wade Hanna, who, by the time he reaches
the age of nineteen, has become involved in a few risky and harrowing
undertakings that could have easily cost him his life.

Growing up in a
dysfunctional upper-middle-class family, Wade's childhood life was
not exactly a bowl of cherries. He was often beaten with a straight
razor strap by his father whenever he made a mistake, forgot
something, or was the cause of a problem. He was expected to be
perfect in whatever he did, however, his father offered little advice
as to how to achieve excellence. Wade's mother was half Irish and
half Cajun, who had an Irish temperament and a drinking problem. Most
days her drinking began in mid-morning and went on until she went to
bed. Unfortunately, Wade was also subjected to scathing beatings at
her hands when she was plastered.

Ironically, Wade's first
break and turning point in his young life came when he and his
parents were informed that he would not be permitted to attend the
next level of Catholic School education after he completed his fifth
grade due to his behavioural problems. Upon following the advice of a
local parish priest, who was a family friend, Wade enrolled in a new
experimental school that was accepting problem children. As the
school was located a considerable way from his home, Wade would have
to stay with an aunt and her family. This turned out to be a blessing
in disguise as his previous tormented environment dramatically
changed for the better. The beatings stopped and there were no
longer problems at home.

Wade did very well at his
new school and managed to keep out of trouble even though there had
been a close call with a possible involvement with a young female
gang member who had taken a liking to him. In fact, Wade had done so
well in school that he was sent back to the regular school system
where he again excelled in his studies as well as in athletic
activities. During his spare time, Wade worked in a garage where he
applied himself to learning about internal combustion engines as
passionately as he did about football. It was here where he would
work on a 1933 Chevy that he had purchased for a low price.

To secure the
reconstruction parts for his car Wade contacted a friend that he had
known since grammar school. Little did he realize at the time that
this reconnection would lead him down a path that would eventually
mean agreeing to accepting a task as an uncover operative which would
have enormous consequences. After completing his role as an secret
agent, Wade joins the Navy Reserve where he becomes involved with the
submarine reserve unit. This in turn leads him to partake in a voyage
that might have turned out to be his last of his young life.

D'Antoni has a good
storytelling gift thanks to his expertly voiced narration and his
skilled evocation of time and place particularly around the era of
the Cuban Missile Crisis, which makes for an immensely readable
novel. And although you might not understand every detail of
D'Antoni's information about submarines and naval encounters, which
may seem at times too contrived, nevertheless the fact that it has
been included, gives this part of the novel a strong dimension.

That
being said, it would have been preferable if D'Antoni had focused
more on fully developing Wade's chilling struggles as a covert agent
rather than delve into his naval exploits. There was certainly ample
unfinished business to include in the yarn pertaining to these
dangerous undertakings that would have been sufficient for the book and surely would have maintained readers'
interest. The naval escapades could have been set aside for a sequel.

I am looking forward to
reading more from this up-and-coming author and a sequel as hinted in
the last few pages of the novel as well as the title.